Congress Bill To Determine College Football Postseason

Congress can’t contain from making decisions in the sports world. Now there’s a bill that if passed would change how the college football national champion is determined. Instead of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system it would turn into a playoff system.

Football is the only college sport that doesn’t determine its champion through a playoff system.

Scott Van Pelt said on his ESPN radio show after an interview with the BCS executive director Bill Hancock that he hasn’t come across one person that says they love the BCS. Not coaches, not players, and not fans.

There are also members of Congress that don’t love it that they’re wasting tax payer’s money on sports issues. According to ESPN, Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga. said there are more important things to focus on.

Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill. doesn’t feel this bill is a waste. He said, “We can walk and chew gum at the same time.”

For our country’s sake I sure hope the members of Congress can walk and chew gum at the same time. I tend to agree with Rush, though. I know there’s a lot more important problems Congress could deal with, but if they can’t multi task on all issues concerning America then they shouldn’t be in that position.

It’s obvious the head honchos of college football won’t change this unpopular system without being forced. Seriously, the first bowl game happened in 1902 and there’s really only been a few tweaks to determine the national champion since then.

Hancock doesn’t even seem like he’s fully sold on the BCS and he’s in charge of it! In the interview with Van Pelt, Hancock said, “What we have is a bowl system that works and what we have is a BCS that has a consensus of all the schools. It’s not perfect, but a playoff system would not be perfect.” He also states earlier in the interview, “I don’t know if the best team always wins March Madness. What works for basketball works for basketball and what works for football works for football.” Hancock used to be on the board of college basketball operations which included working on their playoff system.

Mr. Hancock, I have to argue that the bowl system does not work. Sure it’s great 34 teams end their season on a winning note but it’s not right when teams can finish undefeated and not get crowned the champion. Of course the overall best team doesn’t always win in March Madness, but at least the champion won six games against opponents that were similar in their stature for the season. Everyone can agree the winner of March Madness deserves to be crowned the champion, but no one can agree that a team that goes undefeated doesn’t deserve at least a shot at being crowned.

Hancock said the coaches don’t want to see the bowl games go away. Well, just because there’s a playoff system doesn’t mean all those other bowl games can’t be played. Keep all the other bowl games and add the playoffs. Playoffs will generate more money, more interest, and a true national champion.

Hancock said he doesn’t want the college football regular season to lose its meaning in the last couple months like college basketball. Well it won’t lose its meaning when there are still all the other bowl games and conference championship games. And how it is now a lot of team’s regular seasons lose meaning after their first and second losses of the season so what’s the difference?

Pass that bill Congress. Playoffs need to be implemented into college football and not just for the fans sake, or for the player’s sake, but for the sake of those smaller conference schools that don’t get the opportunity to benefit from the bigger payout received when being crowned the undisputed national champion.